Once again we return to the world of Max Steel’s Robo Force. As a reminder:
Wait, this isn’t a reminder. It’s a new series based on Nacelle’s new toyline, the second attempt to bring these characters back. The last one by Toyfinity used the “Glyos” system and BW Virtual Mentor Jerzy Drozd did a webcomic for it. Apparently this new show comes out in April, though as of this writing there’s no page for it on Tubi. Maybe I should have waited, but I already missed deadline, so too late!
You’d think a guy with flame throwers for hands would enjoy heat.
The original Ideal toyline, which had it’s own special, went for a more cylinder-shape, like putting an R2 unit on the rack. Not surprising that, when retro wasn’t as popular and you had Droids and Transformers running around, the line didn’t quite hit the height, as you can tell from the above it still maintains a fanbase. There were also four minicomics, one of which I’ve gone over in the past. Now it’s time for the second one. This one doesn’t feature the leader, Maxx Steel (not to be confused with the various teenage crimefighters of the 2000s to bear that name), but does feature the villain’s leader, Hun-Dred. And none of his flunkies. We do get a bunch of vehicles to sell.
You’ll have to do some hunting on this page from The Old Robots Website for “Menace Of The Heat Ray”. No credits again, just like the last one,
Our tale begins with Blazer, the “ignitor robot”, playing a saxophone…without a mouth, so how does that work? Enjoying his hot tunes is Sota, the “creator robot”, who we will not see creating anything but scrap metal. Sota uses bigger words than I do, but unlike some people he actually seems to know what he’s saying. (Yes, I know what I’m saying when I use those big words, wize guy/girl!) Then they notice the music isn’t the only hot thing here as the temperature is going up. Locating the source, the two head out in the other product placements–well, these are promotional minicomics–the Robo-Cruiser and Command Patroller. The comic will proceed to point out every feature these vehicle have, use “TM” in the dialog, and be pretty obvious what they’re doing. But do we get a good story out of it?
Hun-Dred is the robot responsible for the rise in temperatures and he doesn’t want to be found out or stopped. His goal is to change the climate of the whole planet, Zeton. (The new cartoon seems to be taking place on Earth. What happened to alien worlds? With aliens? Okay, I guess THEY wouldn’t b…you know what I mean!) Hun-Dred blasts the Robo-Cruiser with the heat ray he’s using to actually cause global warming, meaning we won’t be showing off it’s cool neat features except for the Air-Bot that ejects with Blazer and then will never be mentioned again despite pointing him out in two of the three panels the ship was in. Hun-Dred’s “Dred Crawler” has one, too, but we never get shown it.
“And the Air Bot operating it.” “Him? Or he’s just a head. We should probably pick him up.” (they forget to pick him up)
Blazar has a “Cryogenic Water Cannon”, which Mr. Caption tells the kiddies means “ultra-cold”, and freezes a pool of lava so he can safely land on it. Scientists? Possibility? Anyway, he joins up with Sota by melting a wall of hardened lava and joins him in the Command Patroller’s “airlock bay”, a robo-shaped thing on the sides of the vehicle. Sota does the rest of the work, destroying the satellite ray cannon with the swivel laser cannon, and then Hun-dred’s Robo-Cruiser (don’t know if his airbot survived, but Blazar’s could talk and we never mention him again after they both abandoned ship). I’m not sure how a pop-up targeting site on the top of his head improved Sota’s aim but I’m not trying to sell a toyline. Sota even brought Blazar’s sax so they could have some live music on the way home instead of the radio. Not sure what reception you get in a lava bed far from the city.
That’s the whole story. A relatively short summary, but a good story. Blazar and Sota take center stage and we get a good hint of their abilities and their personalities. They’re also friends because this is the 1980s and not made by Marvel. Sota is verbose and Blazar is thankfully not some polar opposite who has to get along together. The villain provides the drama for a short story. I liked it.
Next time we go from Zeton to Symbion to see if I can still make 2020 plague jokes in 2025…so long as I get to the next one before 2026. You can never tell with my life.
But Air Bot will live on in our hearts.
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